Button Mash This

Back in December, some friends and I were in NYC for a week leading up to my birthday on the 16th. My gift to myself? $200US+ in merchandise at one place and one place alone (literally!): Nintendo World Store. There are only 2 locations in the world, the other resides in Japan (of course). And while I’ve visited the Big Apple on several occasions, this was the first time I’d been able to make it down to Rockefeller Center to check out the scene for myself. Needless to say, I was in pure fangirl heaven.

Thankfully, I got it together long enough to take a few pics and a couple of vids.

chelle @ Nintendo World Store (NYC) - 1st floor from ButtonMashThis on Vimeo.

chelle @ Nintendo World Store (NYC) - 2nd floor from ButtonMashThis on Vimeo.

In honour of Valentine’s Day… it’s all about playing TOGETHER. Sharing means caring with my list of multiplayer favs for love day. So grab your significant other and snuggle up whilst competing in these video games built for two.

RACING GAMES
Guys love cars. And the Burnout series has been satisfying the male desire to virtually destroy expensive shiny things for years now. I love the Burnout games because the focus is not necessarily on better performance, but rather on total and utter destruction… the worse driver you are, the better! So it seemed like an appropriate choice for couples who are always ragging on each other’s driving skills. Take the fighting during rush hour gridlock off the highway and re-direct that road rage into happy co-player explosions instead. There’s loads of different versions to pick up — Burnout 3: Takedown and Burnout: Revenge for the consoles or Burnout Legends and Burnout Dominator for the PSP handheld — each with their own levels of greatness. But if you really wanna blow their minds away and get that heart racing, you may wanna try out the newest game to the franchise, Burnout Paradise.

FIGHTING GAMES
When your girl doesn’t know how to play video games but she makes an effort to play with you (because she loves you!), she’ll just mash her thumbs all over the controller until something happens on screen. For this reason, fighting games are perfect for mutual entertainment. While you’re trying to impress her by remembering some complex intricate button combination for the ultimate finishing move, she’ll just be wailing away relentlessly with little regard to strategy until she wins — and she will because those damn button mashers always win! And you’ll think it’s adorable because you’ll just be glad it wasn’t one of your buddies who totally tore your virtual torso into pieces! Who better to own your sorry ass anyways? When it comes to this genre of games, 3D is where its at. So try a Soul Calibur title. And if you managed to get her hooked onto it long after February comes and goes, then keep in mind Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes out on March 9 for the Wii.

RHYTHM GAMES
I have yet to meet anyone who will not try a rhythm game. This genre is a special breed amongst gaming culture because it’s easily the most accessible and it appeals to the masses by seducing you with classic licensed music that puts everyone in the mood. Why not serenade each other in a SingStar duet or bust out your sexiest moves on Dance Dance Revolution. But if you’re both up for the sweaty challenge, than nothing beats neverending rock sessions playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

Still haven’t found the right present for your special someone? Just get them a DS already, seriously. Even if they have never mentioned it before or showed any interest. Trust me. I’m convinced it’s THE best present in the world and no one can resist this handheld king. 5 year olds play them. 35 year olds play them. Boys and girls play them… together even… and online even if they live far away from each other, ideal for the long distance relationship troopers. It’s also perfect for commuters, so they’ll have something keeping them occupied while travelling on the bus or subway to your house. With a HUGE catalog of software currently available in every style and flavour you could possibly imagine, there is bound to be at least a handful of games your love will just adore as much as you. Be warned though, they may end up spending more time with it than with you! <3

Tonight I’m going to see R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet at The Royal in Toronto. The event has received a fair amount of local buzz… there was even a contest! So it was to my coincidental delight that a friend happened to forward this link of a sweet Wii-mote closet to me today of all days. Go Nintendo reader Craig has a pretty cool dad, I’d say… and a sick TV to boot. Let’s just hope the only thing in there is Wii accessories. Now I’m off to the hip-hopera, yo!

In honour of all the ridiculous snow in Toronto lately, I thought it’d be fun to compile a list of “games for snowy days”… and they’re all pretty cheap as well. So put down your shovels and pick up your controllers… it’s time to play!

LOST PLANET: EXTREME CONDITION [xbox360, ps3]
I bought a 360 on new years eve. And although I have yet to play any other game on it except Rock Band, there’s a LONG list of titles I’m dying to pick up and try. Among them is this one… about blasting gigantic alien bugs on some far off distant planet in subzero temperature on nearly barren terrains. And that’s pretty much it, but what more do you need really? The graphics look absolutely sick and because it’s been out for a year now (to the day), it can be found in most gaming stores for around $30 on the 360. The PS3 version is due out two weeks from today on Feb 26.

PROJECT SNOWBLIND [xbox, ps2]
Not all of us can afford to hop onto the “next-gen” (I think it’s safe to call it current gen now) bandwagon. For those of you still rocking it “old school”, I highly suggest this 1st person shooter. Admittedly, there’s little to do with snow (I chose it entirely based on the name alone!). But this title was considered a great alternative for playstation owners wanting a Halo-like experience. Personally, I enjoyed it more than Halo… though I’m not much of a Master Chief fan myself. You can find it for under $20 - used or new, if you look around. So there’s no excuse not to try it!

SSX BLUR [wii]
I can’t forget about my beloved Wii now, can I? Snowboarding game - kind of a given, eh. No matter which way you slice it, the SSX franchise has been pumping out great installments of their alternative sports game since the days of the original SSX on the PS2. Man, we’ve been playing this one for a looong time. So if you’re tired of the same old traditional control scheme, why not give it a go on your wii-mote and nunchuck. It’s also a budget title now - priced at a mere $25. Working up a sweat flailing your arms about is sure to keep you warm and toasty all through the winter!

Nintendo from isaacwayton on Vimeo.

We have a new found love of online videos, when we embraced Vimeo last week. Check out this amazing, fake Nintendo Wii commercial we uncovered. Absolutely brilliant!

You can find us buttonmashers over here at vimeo. See our videos and check out what gaming videos we like.

I’m subscribed to a Nintendo emailed newsletter and recently I got this one regarding the new game Endless Ocean for the Nintendo Wii. I suppose what peaked my interest was the romanticized notion that I could become a freelance photographer for travel and science magazines, as noted in the screenshot above. As a real life freelance photographer, this really appealed to me. Personally, I think it sounds pretty amazing, as I doubt I would ever find myself diving in real life.

Check out the hands on review over at gamespot, which gives you a mellow breakdown on the gameplay. It’s in stores now, and is value priced at around $29.99. I think I may pick this one up.

Are you looking to buy a Wii for Christmas in Toronto?

Well if you are, you better already have it giftwrapped under the tree. If not, why not try Shoppers Drug Mart. I was in the Dupont and Spadina store earlier this evening and apparently Shoppers carry Wii now. I was very tempted to buy it and flip it on Craigslist, but I couldn’t be bothered. They had two in stock, so hurry up and pick one up.

Another cool gift idea for that spoiled tween, or grown up man-child of yours might be a Zoombox. I picked one up the other night at the Toys R Us on Steeles, just west of Yonge. Basically, I wanted a cheap projector. According to reviews, they are pretty fun, but you must watch them in dark rooms (like really dark rooms). Where else can you get a projector for $150 bucks? Strangely enough these puppies are listed at $399 US on amazon. I guess with the rate of conversion from US to Canadian Dollar, that makes it even.

Bonus Points if someone can track me down a copy of Guitar Hero for the Wii.

We’re All In This Together from ButtonMashThis on Vimeo.

We were invited to the media launch of High School Musical Sing It! this past Thursday, where we were loaded on to a big yellow school bus and we’re asked to sing our favorite songs from one of the popular High School Musical movies.

I was all prepared to sing “Bet on It”, which was orginally sung by Zac Efron’s character Troy Bolton in the second movie, but unfortunately it wasn’t unlocked yet. So I had to settle on “We’re All in This Together” from the first movie.

The game has limited appeal to kids and possibly their parents, but if you have a 10 year old who avidly watches Family Channel, they will gladly sing along for hours, unlocking more songs, characters, outfits and bonus songs from other popular Disney franchises like the Cheetah Girls. There are also other cool bonus features, such as cast interviews and dance lessons.

High School Musical Sing It! ships on November 6th for both the Wii and the Playstation 2 and retails for $64.99 and $54.99 with a microphone or $54.99 and $44.99 without.

When I first read the headlines, I thought Nintendo was actually giving out jackets. Afterall, autumn is here and it’s getting colder out there. I was mistaken. Nintendo is giving out jackets, or should we clarify and say wiimote covers to all Wii owners.

I recently finished playing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the Wii. Of all the Harry Potter games that I’ve played, this version was definitely the most engaging. The thrill for me was the amount of detail put into the game, such as location and character details. You can roam freely around Hogwarts and cast various spells (using your remote like a wand) on a variety of people and things to discover even more extras. Some of the nice touches, included voice work from several characters from the movies, facial scans of the actors and an awesome orchestrated soundtrack. As you discover more things, you are also treated to some great video clips about the making of the game.

If you were to only have one Harry Potter game, this would be the one. It’s a definite must for a gamer who is a fan of the Harry Potter franchise as a whole. They cover off the movie nicely enough, but also add little touches from the previous movies.